While Everton fans have endured a summer of frustration centred around their club’s lack of transfer activity so far, they can still cling onto one consoling thought – at least they don’t support Birmingham City.

From the joy of Carling Cup triumph at Wembley in February, the Midlands club’s faithful have endured five hellish months when their hopes and dreams have unravelled faster than Rupert Murdoch’s public image.

Once a regular thorn in David Moyes’ side when Alex McLeish’s well-organised and purposeful team would regularly nick points at Goodison, City have since plummeted out of the top flight and onto the brink of financial melt-down.

There were undoubtedly flickers of jealousy from the blue half of Merseyside when Carson Yeung rode into Birmingham on a blaze of promises and dollar signs.

But fast forward to the weekend, when Moyes’ side will take on the Brummie Blues at St Andrews, and their opponents’ recent history becomes more of a cautionary tale.

Yeung’s assets have been frozen in the Far East pending his money-laundering court case.

And shares in the club’s holding company have been suspended, making it difficult to raise money.

Now, City chief Peter Pannu has admitted the axe will have to fall and unpopular decisions will have to be made when he returns from the Far East – just one week before they kick-off their Championship season.

The financial meltdown at St Andrews has left fans fearing they will become the new Portsmouth, as new boss Chris Hughton (appointed after McLeish was poached by bitter rivals Villa) tries to prepare for the new campaign without most of the club’s big-name players.

Rivals like West Brom are trying to snatch keeper Ben Foster and Liam Ridgewell on the cheap while Stoke want Scott Dann and Cameron Jerome; and Barry Ferguson, Seb Larsson, and Roger Johnson have already jumped ship.

Add to that the fact that £6m Serbian striker Nikola Zigic is determined to head for the exit door too, and it’s difficult not to feel sympathy for Birmingham supporters.

The causes for commiseration don’t stop there.

Toffees fed-up at their side missing out on top summer target Charles N’Zogbia can again imagine the frustration of Birmingham City.

Before McLeish departed for the second city’s other club, he had almost sealed a deal for the French attacker last season only for it to collapse at the 11th hour.

Now City fans must endure watching Villa sign their one-time target – knowing his goals and creativity may well have saved them from the drop.

At least Everton have cause to put faith in youth.

Magaye Gueye is one of five Everton players that toured the USA who will travel to Oxford United tonight for a reserve friendly ahead of tomorrow’s first-team outing.

Alan Stubbs will take charge of the team at the Kassam Stadium which includes a host of the Blues’ best young players.

“They’ve (Oxford) had a couple of good results in pre-season and this will be the best calibre of players that we’ll be coming up against,” said Stubbs.

“It’ll be a challenge but we’ll have one or two players back in the team.”